AAP and BJP criticise govt for failing to appoint Lokayukta

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday criticised the state government for failing to appoint Lokayukta even though the amended Act came into existence in January 2014 itself.

Harish Rawat said AAP’s Jan Lokpal bill was weak in comparison to Uttarakhand’s draft bill, adding the state would soon have a ‘strong’ Lokayukta. (HT photo)

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday criticised the state government for failing to appoint Lokayukta even though the amended Act came into existence in January 2014 itself.

The state AAP unit alleged the state government had diluted ‘a much stronger’ Act passed by the previous BJP government.

The party was reacting to the comment of chief minister Harish Rawat, on the bill passed by the Delhi government, saying it had no right to speak on it as it had failed to appoint Lokayukta in the state.

On Tuesday, Rawat said AAP’s Jan Lokpal bill was weak in comparison to Uttarakhand’s draft bill, adding the state would soon have a ‘strong’ Lokayukta.

Senior AAP leader Anoop Nautiyal said: “For the last 26 months, the state has no Lokayukta. It is high time the government took some initiative instead of just waiting for the centre or Delhi government to implement it. If the government is so concerned about ending corruption in the state, it should set an example first instead of just paying a lip service.”

The previous government headed by BJP’s BC Khanduri in December 2012 passed the Lokpal Act, drafted on the lines of social activist Anna Hazare’s Jan Lokpal.

However, the Congress government amended the ‘lopsided’ Act after coming to power in 2012.

The Lokayukta Act passed in January 2014 by Rawat government includes a provision that says corruption cases more than seven years old would not be heard. The Act also has a provision to select Lokayukta and five members by a selection committee in six months.

Leader of opposition Ajay Bhatt, one of the members in the Lokayukta selection committee, said “The government should not boast about something which is pending for so long. The term of selection committee has been extended twice. The CM has woken up now when the elections are not too far away.”

According to RTI information, 640 complaints filed in the last two years are waiting to be heard. And though the Lokayukta and the members are yet to be appointed in the state, the government is spending more than Rs 1 crore every year just to maintain the Lokayukta office.